Human Performance Technology is a strategy aimed at increasing the productivity of a group of people by analyzing, creating interventions, and evaluating performance. Such a strategy is applicable to any sphere of work involving human resources. There are plenty of studies analyzing its effectiveness in improving human performance, and such studies will be critically and comparatively analyzed in this essay. The main objectives of this paper are to provide a detailed explanation of human performance technology and assess its implementation in modern society.
Human performance technology (HPT), also characterized as performance improvement, human performance improvement, workplace learning, and performance improvement, or organizational training and performance, consists of multiple steps. The best source to explain the practical elements of HPT is by Abaci and Pershing (2017): “improve human performance by applying scientific and other accumulated knowledge systematically to performance issues” (p. 3). When solving organizational problems, it is important first to analyze and assess issues, then implement an appropriate intervention and evaluate the results with a feedback loop. More useful information can be found in this study, such as the origins of educational and instructional technology fields that emerged from the need to train large portions of the population to work after World War 2. Educators in these fields realized that lack of skills was not the only issue regarding organized human effort, which prompted research in human performance. The emerging technology later cemented itself as a key practice for the successful management of large groups of people. According to this source, education, technological programming, and instructional design are the fields most influenced by human performance technology.
Human performance technology is a theory-driven field about productively organizing groups of people. It is a technology also because of the application and implementation of theoretical models and principles to solve problems. Abaci and Pershing (2017) recognized that “Theories guide practitioners when the theories are practical and have utility” (p.5). In contrast, Kirkpatrick (2017) understands human performance technology from a sociological lens, specifically identifying that the organization’s vision, mission, and values are most important to its success. Their research points to vision statements playing “a key role in driving change and performance in organizations” (Kirkpatrick, 2017, p.8). There are certain characteristics of a vision statement that directly contribute to worker performance: clarity, future focus, abstractness and challenge, idealism, brevity, uniqueness, and success definition. Kirkpatrick (2017) states that a leader, senior manager, or influential employee of a company should incorporate vision statements into communication with workers to maximize its effects, which include positive impacts on division and management.
Abaci and Pershing (2017) and Kirkpatrick (2017) provide slightly different methods of improving human performance. The former states the theory and research-based history of the field are an integral part of its implementation. In contrast, the ladder states that the use of a vision statement increases the chances of a successful organization. Both studies indicate a method of approaching this topic; however, Abaci and Pershing’s (2017) is more generally applicable to most settings and workplaces. The theory of communal organization has clear ways to increase performance, but vision statements cannot be one hundred percent effective. Their positive impacts depend on a number of factors – namely, the degree of participation of each worker, their subjective perception of the statement, and their motivation to work. If all of these factors are decreased, vision statements may be entirely useless. It is evident that the article by Abaci and Pershing (2017) is a more accurate study of human performance technology and its principles.
HPT studies have mostly focused on the technological field or business management. However, its application in the field of education is also critical. A study by Kang et al. (2020) aimed to examine the effectiveness of human performance technology in Korean schools. They outlined four principles of HPT: focus on outcomes, taking a systemic view, adding value, and working on the partnership. They also explain the process by which these principles are upheld, defining their study methods. Kang et al. (2020) stated: “We aim to investigate the effect of HPT standard application on teachers’ class performance goal achievement and the interaction effects of teachers’ tenure in this study” (p.1). The results of the study indicated that implementing human performance technology in schools and other educational facilities would lead to positive impacts on students holistic growth in areas such as learning, character, and physical health. The researchers reached this result by analyzing the students needs, designing and implementing interventions, and reflecting upon the outcome. This study also gives instructions on implementing this strategy in schools, for example, a seminar or training for teachers to learn the principles of HPT.
Another study that focussed on performance improvement in the field of education specifically analyzed the challenges of developing an open educational resource (OER) at an academic library of a university. The obvious difference between this article and Kang et al. (2020) is that the latter was in a school setting, while this one – in a university. Their goals were to “provide a case study in how the performance improvement process can be applied in a higher education venue” (Essmiller et al., 2020, p.266). Both sources achieve to show the value of HPT in education. First, they identified the causes of the gap between the actual and desired OER program. Afterward, they were able to design and develop a suitable intervention – hiring of additional staff and the creation of an institution-specific digital platform to host the open education resource. They concluded the HPT was “valuable, as it helped identify specific aspects of the project which would require change to facilitate a sustainable program” (Essmiller et al., 2020, p.271). It is evident that performance improvement played a significant role in both school and university environments.
The last article to examine is a case study on the application of HPT to a sports manufacturing company. The company has few employees and was receiving complaints about faulty sports equipment. The methodology was to collect data from interviews and observations, and they determined that the equipment had damaged parts, which was not the fault of the assemblers (Nold & Osam, 2017). The results were that a systematic approach to organizational problem solving enhanced the effectiveness of human resource development of workers.
In conclusion, the critical and comparative analysis of five articles on the topic of human performance technology and its application showed that the performance of workers generally increased because of HPT. Two articles focussing on its theoretical background and principles were explained and compared. Three articles discussing the implementation of the model of organizational problem-solving in education and manufacturing were discussed, two of which were compared.
References
Abaci, S., & Pershing, J. A. (2017). Research and theory as necessary tools for organizational training and performance improvement practitioners. TechTrends, 61(1), 19-25. Web.
Essmiller, K., Thompson, P., & Alvarado-Albertorio, F. (2020). Performance improvement technology for building a sustainable OER initiative in an academic library. TechTrends 64, 265–274. Web.
Kang, S. P., Huh, Y., & Kim, J. K. (2020). Application of human performance technology (HPT) standards for school teachers in Korea. Asia-Pacific Collaborative Education Journal, 16(1), 1-15.
Kirkpatrick, A. S. (2017). Understanding the role of vision, mission and, values in the HPT model. Performance Improvement 56(3), 6-14. Web.
Nold, K., & Osam, K. (2017). A case study on the application of a human performance technology model to a sports manufacturing company. Performance Improvement, 59(5), 17-25. Web.